Makar Sankranti 2024 Date, Timing & Muhurat

One of the splendidly celebrated festivals in india, Makar Sankranti is an Indian festival that marks the end of winter solstice and transition of the sun from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. People celebrate Sun's transit from Dhanu rashi to the Makara rashi (zodiac sign Capricorn), by paying their respects to the Sun God and offering prayers for a good harvest season. Though with contrasting names and festivities in different regions, India will come together to celebrate this auspicious festival.

Makar Sankranti 2024 is on January 15, Monday

7 months and 3 days to go for the event

Makara Sankranti 2024 Punya Kaal Muhurat: January 15, 7:14 AM - 12:36 PM (Duration: 5 hours 32 minutes)
Maha Punya Kaal Muhurat: January 15, 7:14 AM - 9:02 AM (Duration: 1 hours 48 minutes)
Sankranti Moment: January 14, 8:49 PM

Read on to understand the importance of this festival and to know the exact Tithi, Muhurat, Panchang, Choghadiya, and much more related to Makar Sankranti.

When is Makar Sankranti celebrated? Astronomy behind Makar Sankranti

In 2023, even though the sankranti moment or sankranti muhurat is at 8:49 PM on January 14, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 15.
So why is Makar Sankranti celebrated on the 15th of January, though the Sankranti Moment for 2023 falls on the 14th of January?

Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu calendar (lunar) month of Magh. However, unlike other Hindu festival dates which vary every year, Makar sankranti falls on the 14th or 15th of January every year. This is because the festival is based on the Solar Calendar, not the Luni-Solar Calendar (Hindu Calendar). Since Sankranti is a solar event, the festival will generally occur on the same day, 14th of January, every year. However, sometimes the Sun enters Makara Rashi (Zodiac/Constellation) after sunset in India on the 14th, and so the festival is celebrated on the 15th of January in those years to mark the entry of the Sun into the sign of Capricorn (Makara). This also marks the inception of the holy phase of Uttarayana which is considered the best time for attaining 'mukti'.

One legend from the Epic of Mahabharata tells us the story of Bhishma waiting for Uttarayan to breathe his last. Bhishma, was fatally wounded in the war of Mahabharata with arrows piercing his entire body. He waited for Fifty-One nights on this bed of arrows, before succumbing. He waited for the auspicious day of Uttarayan to set in before breathing his last so that he can attain Mukti from this cycle of rebirth.

What does Punya Kaal mean?
And Makar Sankranti 2023 Timing according to Vedic books.

In Sanskrit, "Punya" means Holy, Virtue, or Sacred and "Kaal" means Time, put together, the meaning of "Punyakaal" is "Sacred-Time". When the Sun transits from one rashi (zodiac) to another, for a brief period, it appears to be in both Rashis. This period is called Punya kaal, a time which is considered very auspicious since everyone can reap the benefits of both rashis, and the activities such as taking a bath, Surya puja, daan (donations and charities) etc. must be done during this time. According to 'Muhurt Chintamani', the Punya kaal of Makara Sankranti is calculated as 16 Ghatis, (about 6 Hours and 24 Minutes) from the Sankranti Moment, or the time from the next Sunrise in the event where the Sankranti Moment happens after the Sunset. Makar sankranti punya kaal is considered the most auspicious as it also marks the beginning of Uttarayana (summer solstice).

Narad Puran and Muhurt Chintamani mention the Punyakaal as 16 Ghati (6 Hours and 24 Minutes). According to this, the Punyakaal timing for Makara Sankranti 2023 will start at 7:14 AM and end at 1:38 PM on January 15.
However, Sangrah Shiromani and Brihad Jyotish Saar mention the Punyakaal for Makara Sankranti as 40 Ghati (16 Hours). According to this, the Punyakaal timing would be from 7:14 AM to 11:14 PM on January 15. But since Punyakaal is marked only during the daytime, it is usually observed from sunrise to sunset, which will start at 7:14 AM and end at 5:57 PM on January 15.
Additionally, the latter books also mention Atipunyatam Punyakaal (Maha Punyakaal) as 5 Ghati (2 Hours) from sunrise, which will start at 7:14 AM and end at 9:14 AM on January 15.

Makar Sankranti celebrations in different states of India

Makar Sankranti is widely observed in different states of the country in different names with a unique touch of their culture to their festivities. The festival is celebrated in each state as follows:

Maharashtra: Makar Sankranti is a bookmarked festival and a special day for women in Maharashtra. Maharashtrians prepare Tilgudi Til laddus and Til Polis, their specialty, and exchange them among friends and family. They greet each other saying “Til gul ghya god god bola” (accept these tilguds and speak sweet words).

Gujarat: In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Uttarayan. According to the Gujarati calendar, it falls on the Vad Satam of Posh. Their celebration of festivities is much similar to that of Maharashtra, where they prepare sweets to exchange them among relatives and friends, and fly kites. The elderly of the family gift presents to the young. Sankranti heralds the dawn of spring in Gujarat.

Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, the festival goes by the name Khichdi, or Kitcheri. As part of their festivities, a Kumbh Mela is set for a whole month at Prayag, confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, where people bathe.

Punjab: People of Punjab observe this festival as Maghi. Celebrated during the peak of winter, they lit bonfires on the eve of Sankranti (Lohri) and dance around the Lohri fire. They celebrate the bountiful harvest reaped in this festival, with traditional bhangra dance and feasts.

Tamil Nadu: In Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti is celebrated as the festival of Pongal. Bonfires are lit on Pongal eve, Bhagi, and old possessions are cast into it. On the day of Pongal, people, especially women chant ‘Pongalo Pongal’ as they boil rice in a pot of milk sweetened with jaggery. Pongal is a four day festival and according to the Tamil Calendar, the celebrations will start from January 14 with Bhogi Pongal and end with Kaanum Pongal on January 17.

West Bengal: In West Bengal, Makar Sankranti falls on the last day of the month of Paush. The Hindus take a holy dip at the Millat Ganga Sagar (Ganga Sagar Snan) in the Ganges which is believed to have enlivened the ashes of 60,000 ancestors of Bhagirat.

Odisha: The Bhuyan tribe of Odisha light bonfires, dance and feast to celebrate Makar Sankranti, that marks their new year. They hold processions called Maghyatra, and also place home made articles for sale.

Madhya Pradesh: People of Madhya Pradesh (Bundelkhand) celebrate Makar Sankranti as ‘Sukarat’ (Sakarat). They celebrate the festival with much pomp and splendor, and greet each other good luck and fortune.

Kerala: Makar Sankranti is celebrated as Makara Vilakku in Kerala. People from all over South India throng Sabarimala to witness the Makara Jyoti. Swami Ayyappa, the deity of Sabarimala is worshiped and devotees offer food.

Assam: In Assam, the Sankranti festival is celebrated as Maagh Bihu which heralds the end of harvesting period, and people of Assam feast on the produce from their lands. It is also called Bhoghaali Bihu, or the Festival of Food.

Karnataka: Makar Sankranti celebrated as Suggi in Karnataka is a festival of farmers. They offer delicacies made of sesame mixed with groundnuts and coconuts sweetened with jaggery, a ritual known as the Ellu Birodhu.

Andhra Pradesh: Makar Sankranti is an important affair for farmers observed as a three-day festival. People cast old items into bonfire (Bhogi), decorate house entrances with rangoli designs, chant prayers and greet each other. According to the Telugu Calendar, it will be celebrated on the Krishna Sapthami of Pausa.

Bihar: The festivities of Makar Sankranti in Bihar, celebrated as Sakaarat or Kichdi, are a lot similar to the festivities in Uttar Pradesh. The devotees bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges. They also host a month-long Kumbh Mela.

Tripura: Tripura celebrates Sankranti as Hangrai, earlier introduced as a festival to celebrate the immersing of the remnants of the ancestors in the holy river Gumti. A grand festival, people prepare Tripura cakes, dishes and drinks and host feasts for friends and relatives.

Makar Sankranti celebrations around the World

Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Lohri are celebrated in Sri Lanka, the United States of America, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and some European countries as well. In Sri Lanka, the festival is called Ulavar Thirunaal or Thai Pongal and is a two-day festival. On the first day, like the Sakkarai Pongal made during the Pongal festival of Tamil Nadu, Sweet Rice Pudding is made using boiled Milk which is added with Rice, Jaggery, and Sugarcane Syrup as an Offering to the Sun God Suriyapakaran. On the second day, called Mattu Pongal, the Oxen are thanked for their help in the fields to produce crops.

Makar Sankranti timing for the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Makar Sankranti Time (Moment) USA and Canada:
Eastern Standard Time (EST): January 14, 10:19 AM.
Pacific Standard Time (PST): January 14, 07:19 AM.
Central Standard Time (CST): January 14, 09:19 AM.
Mountain Standard Time (MST): January 14, 08:19 AM.
Makar Sankranti Time (Moment) Europe:
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): January 14, 03:19 PM.
Central European Time (CET): January 14, 04:19 PM.
Eastern European Time (EET): January 14, 05:19 PM.
Makar Sankranti Time (Moment) Australia:
Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT): January 15, 02:19 AM.
Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST): January 15, 01:19 AM.

Sankranti Characteristics

Based on the Panchang, Karana of the Sankranti 2024 is Balava. According to Muhurta Chintamani, this year's Sankranti will have the following characteristics:

• Name: Rakshasi
• Age: Adolescent. (Kumari)
• Caste: Bhoot. (Ghost)
• Color of the Cloth: Yellow. (Peeta)
• Top Cloth (Kanchuki): Leaves (Parna)
• Ornaments: Bangles (Kankan)
• Vahana/Vehicle: Tiger. (Vyaghra)
• Upvahan/Secondary Vehicle: Horse (Ashv)
• Weapon in Hand: Mace. (Gadha)
• Emotion according to Vahana: Fear (Bhay)
• Poultice on Body: Kumkum. (Red Turmeric Powder, not Vermilion)
• Flower in Hand: Jasmine. (Chameli)
• Consuming Food: Sweet Rice Pudding. (Kheer)
• Food Plate Material: Silver (Chaandi)
• In Condition of: Pleasure. (Bhoga)
• Position: Sitting.
• Facing (According to Day): West (Pashchim)
• Head Position: South (Dakshin)
• Looking toward (Drishti): North-East (Ishaan kon)
• Heading toward: North (Uttar)
• Sorrow to: Rakshas
• Star: Daarun.
• Cost of Commodities: Normal (Madhyam)

Important Timings On Makar Sankranti 2024